Never Judge a show by it's Pilot: My Name is Earl. (Click PODCAST)

My Name Is Earl: Tuesday Night 9:00 PM NBC.

I have to say a few comments to say about My Name is Earl before I even see the pilot.

Every time a long running sit-com goes off the air (last season it was Everybody Loves Raymond) someone announces that, "The sitcom is dead". Trust me the sit-com is not dead.

When Desi Arnaz created I Love Lucy he described his idea simply. We are going film a stage play in front of a live audience with three cameras. Somewhere down the line we forgot that the plays the thing. Lately instead of a plot we have strung together one liners, zingers and sexual innuendoes. When we go back to the art of storytelling and showing that the comedy should come from the situation you will see that the sitcom is very much alive.

There are also single camera sitcoms, like My Name is Earl that is not shot in front of an audience. Instead of shooting a play this is more like shooting a 22-minute movie. Over the years some of the most popular shows in television history were single camera sitcoms including

The Andy Griffith Show (Celebrating it's 45 anniversary this year), M*A*S*H and the first couple of seasons of Happy Days. Back then single camera sitcoms were required to use a laugh track (Although M*A*S*H* did not use the laugh track in the operating room).

Current single camera sitcoms include Scrubs, The Office, Malcolm in the Middle, The Bernie Mac Show and Arrested Development.

Did you notice that 3 of the 5 listed single camera sitcoms were on FOX? FOX also had another single camera sitcom called Oliver Beene that aired from 2003 to 2004. I have been told that this funny show failed not because it was a single camera sitcom, but because it was set in 1962 and period shows don’t do well (That '70s Show HELLO!). When FOX was in fourth place they took some creative risks and aired single camera sitcoms when the "Big 3" networks wanted to stick with the traditional three camera format. Now that NBC is in forth place, it's time for them to take some creative risks.

By now you've figured out that I am a fan of the single camera sitcom. In fact I wrote two pilots that were written for that format and was told that the networks were not interested in the single camera format, in spite of the above examples (don't confuse me with the facts). I love the three camera format as well. As a stand-up comedian I can tell you that there is nothing like working in front of a live audience, but sometimes the three camera format can be limiting to the confines of a sound stage. Not only is My Name is Earl a show that I think I might like as a viewer (Based on the promos). In a small way I feel that I have a vested interest in the success of this type of show.

I felt it important to tell you what is on my mind before I watched the pilot, but I will make a good faith effort to be objective.

I judge a good pilot by if lets you know every thing you need to know about the show in that first episode. A good example of this is the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show (as a spin off from Make Room for Daddy) and Hogan's Heroes. Taxi let you know every thing you need to know about the show in the first couple of minutes. The pilot for My Name is Earl let you know everything you needed to know before the first commercial break (Taxi’s record is safe.)

Jason Lee as Earl, is likable, you may even know a guy like him. He is definitely not a role model. Earl spent his life doing bad things to people and having bad things happen to him (the last straw is loosing a $100,000.00 lottery ticket). Earl learns about karma by watching Last Call with Carson Daly and hearing Carson say that his success and good fortune comes from doing good things for other people. Now inspired Earl sets out to correct every bad thing he has ever done (250 in total) in the hopes that good fortune will fall upon him. His first project is Kenny (Guest star Gregg Binkley), whom Earl used to torture as a child. Earl thinks that he can make things up to Kenny by getting him laid only to find out that Kenny is gay.

The show is funny, edgy and is sure to make the Parents Television Council hit list, but I never judge a show by it's pilot.

The second episode was just as good as the pilot proving that in a situation comedy, the comedy should come from the situation. The story was not predictable nor did I see the punch line coming from a mile away. My Name is Earl show could quite possibly be the best new show of the fall season (I haven't seen every new show yet, but if I see a better show, I'll say so).

To quote Earl and his brother Randy (Ethan Suplee)
Randy: What's karma? Earl: I don't know, it's something Carson Daly came up with.

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Would you believe?

Don Adams
1923-2005

My ninth grade drama class attended a city drama festival where we competed against drama classes from all over the city. The highlight of the festival was a special guest who came on stage to read the name of winning team in the "Group Improvisation" competition. The special guest was Don Adams who was greeted with a standing ovation that lasted for five minutes. When the crowd quieted down Mr. Adams said three simple words, "Would you believe?" and the crowd went into another five-minute standing ovation.

I was a fan of Mr. Adams before that special event and an even bigger fan after. Everyone has been expressing how much he or she loved "Get Smart", "Tennessee Tuxedo" and "Inspector Gadget", but no one has mentioned one of my favorite shows Don Adams' Screen Test.

Good Night Mr. Adams.
I wanted to shake your hand that day but I missed you by that much.

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Never Judge a show by it's Pilot: The War at Home. (Click PODCAST)

The War at Home: Sunday Night 8:30 PM FOX.

Let me start with the positive notes. The show fits in very nicely between "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy". I like the use of monologues and inner-monologues to show what is really going on inside the character’s heads. We actually have a married couple on TV (Michael Rapaport & Anita Barone) who actually look like they could be married (instead of a smart attractive woman married to a dopey looking fat guy who’s at least ten years her senior). I like that they are trying to be edgy. The daughter (Kaylee DeFer) wants to loose her virginity. The parents think that their oldest son (Kyle Sullivan) is gay or a cross dresser because he dressed as his mom in order to steal her car.

I would not call these next comments negative just critical. The show fits in very nicely between "The Simpsons" and "The Family Guy", but "The Simpsons" and "The Family Guy"(then followed by "American Dad!") are cartoons where it’s still okay to show Dad as a bafoon. A big complaint I hear from men its that they are tired of seeing Dad portrayed as an idiot or seeing the kids smarter than Dad or both of the parents. With the exception of John Ritter in "8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter", how many smart dads have we seen on TV since Bill Cosby in "The Cosby Show"? I said that, "I like that they are trying to be edgy" but I don't think the show is edgy enough. I say have the daughter loose her virginity with possible consequences and have the son actually be gay and comically show the teen gay lifestyle (Although the son’s best friend is gay). Come on this is FOX after all.

But I Never Judge a show by it's Pilot.

I saw the second episode. The Youngest son (Dean Collins) outsmarted and blackmailed his father in to buying him a $200.00 pair of tennis shoes when he catches his dad having cyber sex. The daughter was upset when she gave her (Black) boyfriend "something special" for their one-month anniversary and he gave her nothing. Dad assumes that she was referring to a tangible item. The second episode picked up on a story line from the pilot. The parents still thought that their oldest son was gay until he gets caught on camera running a red light while driving his mother’s stolen car.

In conclusion, I find "The War at Home" a cross between "8 Simple Rules" and "Married... with Children" with a hint of the TV movie "Still the Beaver"*. I saw some improvement in the second episode, but the show still lacks the heart needed in a family sit-com, even if the family is dysfunctional causing me to ask why should we care about these people. Finally I want to point out that every time a long running sit-com goes off the air (last season it was "Everybody Loves Raymond") someone announces, "The sit-com is dead". Trust me the sit-com is not dead. Shows like "The War at Home" just don't help keep it alive.

To quote Dave (Michael Rapaport), "I only have ONE simple rule for dating my daughter. If she sees your penis, I'll cut it off".

By the way, the use of the word "penis" is not edgy.

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

*The adult Beaver Cleaver (Jerry Mathers) tries to use his father's child rearing techniques on his own kids only to find that they don't work anymore.

Congratulations to the 2005 Emmy Winners.

And the Emmys went to:

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
BRAD GARRETT as Robert Barone CBS
Everybody Loves Raymond

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
WILLIAM SHATNER as Denny Crane ABC
Boston Legal

OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE IN A VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM
HUGH JACKMAN, Host CBS
58th Annual Tony Awards (2004)

OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM
THE AMAZING RACE CBS
Jerry Bruckheimer, Executive ProducerBertram van Munster, Executive ProducerJonathan Littman, Executive ProducerHayma "Screech" Washington, Executive ProducerAmy Nabseth Chacon, Co-Executive Producer Evan Weinstein, Co-Executive Producer Elise Doganieri, Supervising ProducerJohn Moffet, Supervising Producer Mark Vertullo, Supervising Producer Scott Owens, Supervising ProducerJulian Grimmond, Senior ProducerNancy Gunn, Senior ProducerAlex Rader, Senior ProducerGlenn Stickley, Senior ProducerJennifer Basa, ProducerDavid Brown, ProducerPatrick Cariaga, ProducerJarratt Carson, ProducerAllison Chase, ProducerCurtis Colden, ProducerAl Edgington, ProducerBarry Hennessey, ProducerMichael Norton, ProducerMichael Noval, ProducerGiselle Parets, ProducerBob Parr, ProducerBill Pruitt, ProducerMatt Schmidt, ProducerRebekah Fry, ProducerRichard Hall, ProducerPhil Keoghan, Host

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
BLYTHE DANNER as Izzy Huffstodt SHOWTIME
Huff

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
PAUL NEWMAN as Max Roby HBO
Empire Falls

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
JANE ALEXANDER as Sara Roosevelt HBOWarm Springs

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
BUCKY GUNTS, Director NBC
The Games of the XXVIII Olympiad – Opening Ceremony

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM
DAVID JAVERBAUM, Head Writer COMEDY CENTRALRICH BLOMQUIST, WriterSTEVE BODOW, WriterTIM CARVELL, WriterSTEPHEN COLBERT, WriterERIC DRYSDALE, WriterJ.R. HAVLAN, WriterSCOTT JACOBSON, WriterBEN KARLIN, WriterROB KUTNER, WriterCHRIS REGAN, WriterJASON REICH, WriterJASON ROSS, WriterJON STEWART, Writer
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
DORIS ROBERTS as Marie Barone CBS
Everybody Loves Raymond

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART COMEDY CENTRAL
Jon Stewart, Executive ProducerBen Karlin, Executive ProducerStewart Bailey, Co-Executive ProducerKahane Corn, Supervising ProducerDavid Javerbaum, Supervising Producer

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
J. J. ABRAMS, Director ABC
LostPilot (Part 1 & Part 2)

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
DAVID SHORE, Writer FOX
HouseThree Stories

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
GEOFFREY RUSH as Peter Sellers HBO
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
STEPHEN HOPKINS, Director HBO
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
CHRISTOPHER MARKUS, Screenplay HBOSTEPHEN McFEELY, Screenplay
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
S. EPATHA MERKERSON as Nanny HBO
Lackawanna Blues

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
CHARLES McDOUGALL, Director ABCDesperate HousewivesPilot

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
MITCHELL HURWITZ, Writer FOXJIM VALLELY, Writer
Arrested DevelopmentThe Righteous Brothers

OUTSTANDING MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE
WARM SPRINGS HBO
Mark Gordon, Executive ProducerCelia Costas, Executive ProducerChrisann Verges, Producer

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES
THE LOST PRINCE (MASTERPIECE THEATRE) PBS
Peter Fincham, Executive ProducerDavid M. Thompson, Executive ProducerRebecca Eaton, Executive ProducerJoanna Beresford, Executive ProducerJohn Chapman, Producer

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
FELICITY HUFFMAN as Lynette Scavo ABC
Desperate Housewives

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
PATRICIA ARQUETTE as Allison Dubois NBC
Medium

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
TONY SHALHOUB as Adrian Monk USA
Monk

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
JAMES SPADER as Alan Shore ABC
Boston Legal

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
LOST ABC
J. J. Abrams, Executive ProducerDamon Lindelof, Executive ProducerBryan Burk, Executive ProducerCarlton Cuse, Executive Producer Jack Bender, Executive ProducerDavid Fury, Co-Executive ProducerJesse Alexander, Co-Executive ProducerJavier Grillo-Marxuach, Supervising ProducerSarah Caplan, ProducerLeonard Dick, ProducerJean Higgins, Produced by

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND CBS
Philip Rosenthal, Executive ProducerRay Romano, Executive ProducerRory Rosegarten, Executive ProducerStu Smiley, Executive ProducerLew Schneider, Executive ProducerTucker Cawley, Executive ProducerSteve Skrovan, Executive ProducerJeremy Stevens, Executive ProducerMike Royce, Executive ProducerAaron Shure, Executive ProducerLisa Helfrich Jackson, Co-Executive ProducerTom Caltabiano, Co-Executive ProducerLeslie Caveny, Co-Executive ProducerKen Ornstein, ProducerHolli Gailen, Producer

Seeing Donald Trump and Megan Mullally singing the theme of "Green Acres" reminded me why we slow down to look at car wrecks.

To quote Felicity Huffman, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Desperate Housewives), "KLUNK!"

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

My Mission Statement Realized. (Click PODCAST)

I still find myself surfing through the cable news channels (Although I did take a break to watch FOX’s Sunday Night lineup) and still every thought I have eventually turns into a rant. My ranting then becomes political and that’s something that I'm trying to avoid doing in my column. If you have read my past articles you can guess where I stand politically, but I also believe that people who do not hold an elected office need to be held accountable for their action or their lack of action. (As I'm writing this week’s column, I’m starting to see the news channels reporting on non-politicians being held accountable for their actions) I'm sure that in the coming weeks we will be watching Hurricane Katrina investigation hearings on TV or as some elected officials call it "THE BLAME GAME". I can see the Saturday-Night-Live sketch now. We hear Don Pardo announce, "It’s The Blame Game, the game nobody wants to play. Now let’s meet our finger pointers". Then we see a set that looks like the old "Family Feud" set where the Federal Government faces off with the Local Government. Sadly I’m sure the real hearings will be more like a reality show than a game show and there will be no winners in the end.

"Give news a little more time and don't request that they also, in their news time, entertain. We're not entertainers. We're journalists. And we need more time to do our job well."
Walter Cronkite
With CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer about Dan Rather and the news industry today.
March 8th 2005CNN.com - Cronkite: News industry 'vastly different' - Mar 8, 2005

As I said in my Pre-ramble, "I hope through this column I can illustrate how real life influences TV and how TV influences real life and while doing so incorporating some observations and personal stories". The coverage of Katrina's aftermath is a great example of this. Reporters showing America and the world the devastation left in Katrina's wake and the world responding with aid and demanding answers to what went wrong. It is sad to think that it took this horrible event to see reporters do their job of reporting the news. I'm sure younger viewers seeing reporters covering an event in the style of Edward R. Murrow covering the blitz in London rather than Mary Hart covering the Oscars on the Red Carpet must be eye opening. At an early age I saw the news the same way I saw caster oil, you did not like it but it was good for you. In the coming weeks we need to keep watching the news and learn lessons from this event so we do not repeat history and write to the news editors if they go back to dedicating more air time than appropriate to stories like Natalee Holloway. If we did not have Hurricane Katrina the top news story today would be "Britney Spears gives birth".

I have two quotes.

To quote CNN's Anderson Cooper (To Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.), "Excuse me, Senator, I'm sorry for interrupting, I haven't heard that, because, for the last four days, I've been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated. And when they hear politicians slap - you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours."

And to quote ABC's Nightline host Ted Koppel (To FEMA Director Michael Brown) ''Don't you guys watch television? Don't you guys listen to the radio?''

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

A few thoughts on Katrina. (Click PODCAST)

I'm sure that many of you like me have spent most of the last week surfing through the cable news channels. It's still very difficult writing my opinions of everything that is happening in the Gulf Coast from the comfort of my Hollywood apartment. Every thought I have eventually turns into a rant and besides I myself would rather hear from the people who are actually there than hear from another observer.

During hurricane season I’m always very nervous. Most of my family lives in Orlando, Florida and Puerto Rico. When the storms start forming, I start my day watching the Weather Channel (weather.com), end my day watching the Weather Channel and wake up in the middle of the night and turning on the Weather Channel. In fact my brother has become an amateur storm tracker whose prediction are more accurate than the Weather Channel’s. The hard part is coming home and getting a morbid E-mail or just missing that phone call and hearing a morbid message on the machine telling me that everything is secured and now they have to ride out the storm. The Florida relatives can at least escape, but the Puerto Rican relatives are stuck. A few days later I would get a call or an E-mail telling me all is well but, they had a lot of cleaning up to do and I would breathe a sigh of relief.

Katrina got me thinking about my uncle Pelli. He was a big man with a big heart. During times like these while people are watching the devastation on TV and saying, "That’s a shame, someone should do something". Uncle Pelli did something. When Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida on August 24, 1992, he filled his van with clothes and food that he collected from relatives and the church, and drove the supplies from Orlando to Homestead. He did things like that all the time. Uncle Pelli died a couple years ago because like I said, "He was a big man with a big heart". At the funeral people asked, "Why did God take him so soon? He was a good guy". I’m not one who questions God on these matters, but I do have a theory. Uncle Pelli did his duty for King and country and then God called him home. Now while people are watching the devastation on television and saying, "That’s a shame, someone should do something". Well Uncle Pelli is not here to do something, it's your turn. It's my turn.

Right now we can't load up a van and head over there. In fact Good Samaritans are being told not to travel to affected areas, but instead to send money.

Organizations Requesting Cash Donations:

American Red Cross
English: 800-HELP-NOW (435-7669)
Spanish: 800-257-7575

The Salvation Army
800-SAL-ARMY

America's Second Harvest
800-344-8070

United Way
800-272-4630

MercyCorps
888-256-1900

Oprah's Angel Network

Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund

Habitat for Humanity
800-422-4828

Government Organizations:

FEMA: for official news, evacuation reports, and status updates
http://www.fema.gov/

NOAA's Hurricane Center - Be Ready For the Next One:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Homeland Security Dept.:
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/

Other Ways to Help:

Do you have a spare room, bed or couch to offer a family fleeing hurricane Katrina?www.hurricanehousing.org

I want to issue this challenge. If you have been to New Orleans in the past, I am sure you had a good time. I say this because I have never heard anyone say, "I'd just come back from New Orleans and I was never so bored". I will even go as far as saying that you got more than your money's worth of fun (The DVDs of that fun are being sold on infomercials late at night). Now is the to pay back the difference. If you have never been to New Orleans, consider this donation a down payment on the fun you will have when you do eventually visit.

I still can't help but think that this storm could have hit Orlando, or Puerto Rico. Still my family will say, "I don’t know how you can live in California with all those earthquakes".

Stay Tuned

Tony Figueroa

Kick In For The Big Easy.

We’ve seen the horrible images on TV.

Now it's time to help.

The STORY SALON Benefit
For The Victims of Katrina
Wednesday, Sept. 7 - 8:00 P.M.
Come for the show & Give what you can at the Coffee Fix
12508 Moorpark St.
Studio City
818 754-4354

Proceeds will go to The American Red Cross

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

Good Night Little Buddy.

Bob Denver

We will forever join you each week (and now anytime on DVD) and we’re sure to get a smile.

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa

What are you going to do with an old pair of Red Shoes? (Click PODCAST)

The 1939 MGM production of "The Wizard of Oz" was not considered a classic until it started airing on CBS on November 3, 1956. (On December 10th 1961 Dick Van Dyke and his three children hosted the fourth television broadcast) For us Children of Television "The Wizard of OZ" was an annual television event. This was before home video. I remember seeing it once every year around Easter time. When I was nine years old I got to see it in color. It was like seeing it for the first time.

So what got me thinking about "The Wizard of OZ"?

I have a friend named Michael Shaw who has the most impressive privately owned collection of movie memorabilia. The crowning jewel of his, or any other, collection is a pair of Dorothy's Ruby Slippers. Even amongst the other existing pairs of Ruby Slippers his are the best (they were only used for the close ups). My wife and I have seen the slippers on many occasions and although it is cool to see the "Hope Diamond" of movie collectibles, it did not cure me of any ailment, transport me to a magical land or make me feel any closer to Judy Garland than I already was before.

Michael has taken his collection (including the "Ruby Slippers") on tour and has loaned them out for charity fundraisers. Last Sunday (Aug. 28th) the "Ruby Slippers" were stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota where they had been on loan for ten weeks. The Judy Garland Museum insured the shoes for one million dollars and I am sure that there will be a few law suits as well. After all not only was an irreplaceable piece of Hollywood history stolen, the slippers along with the rest of his collection are his livelihood.

I have to ask the person who stole the Ruby Slippers, What are you going to do with an old pair of Red Shoes? You can’t display them. You can’t sell them on eBay. The shoes are size 5½ so you probably can’t wear them on Halloween (Perhaps the authorities in Grand Rapids Minn. have an APB out on crooks with really tiny feet). The way I see it, the cops are looking for you and the Judy Garland Museum’s insurance company has people looking for you. If they get to you first consider yourself lucky, because if the Gay Mafia gets to you first you will be at the bottom of the river wearing a stylish pair of decoupage over shoes that won’t send you back home.

To quote Jay Leno (to Hugh Grant), "What the hell were you thinking?"

Stay Tuned


Tony Figueroa